Quarter for Your Thoughts

At one of the professional development workshops I attended recently the instructor said there are two kinds of people in the world: the Hurry Up and Waits and the Wait and then Hurry Ups. The first group describes people who get ready early and then have to wait around to leave. They are the first people who show up at restaurants and have to wait around for the rest of their party, arrive in time to see the previews at the movie theater, get to an event early to get good seats. Those of you who know me know that I almost always fall into this group. Even when I try to be late, I'm usually the first one to show up. (Unless I'm right in the middle of a good book--then all bets are off.)

The second group describes the people who stall or wait 'til the last minute to get ready and then scramble around trying to finish or show up at the last possible minute (or even late). When they do show up, it's usually a "fashionably late" or otherwise dramatic entrance and people are always delighted to see them. They're greeted with, "Oh, we're so glad you made it! We didn't think you were coming."

Unfortunately this summer I'm being forced into the second category. I have the entire month of July free to do things but I can't do any of them yet. I can't start packing and move into a new house because our old/current one hasn't sold yet. I can't set up my new classroom because work crews are painting the walls this week and for the next two weeks they'll be working on the floors of the lower level (replacing tiles, stripping, waxing, polishing, etc.) I can't get into my classroom until the last week of July (at the earliest). I can't shop for my class yet because everything has to be done with a purchase order--unless I want to spend my own money, which I DO NOT since I won't get my first paycheck until the middle of September. I can't get trained on the website program until after August 1st. So, basically, I'm in a holding pattern. Then, when August starts, I'll be scrambling to get everything done all at once.

So, while I have time to spare this month (and to keep myself busy so I won't go insane--the Crazy Count is on yellow alert today) I'm completing little tasks that I've been putting off. Today I took out all the shelves in my refrigerator and cleaned them. This required finding the right size screwdriver, which is why I've been putting it off.

Tomorrow I'll weed-eat all around the curb of my property. Because, what better way to spend the day in 97 degree weather?

Tonight I sorted through my kids' state quarters collections, putting the quarters into their little assigned slots. Then I realized I need some help. I have four state quarter collections (two different types, one of each per child). Clearly the Crazy Count was on red alert when I started this project back in 1999. On one set you just collect one quarter per state. Easy cheesy.

In the other set you collect two per state--one from the Philadelphia mint and one from the Denver mint, as indicated by a little P or D on the "heads" side of the coin (to the right of the head, just under the words In God We Trust). I have mostly P coins, since I live closer to the East Coast mint, except in rare cases like Iowa and Colorado. There's a coin shop in my little town and they have some of the ones I'm missing, but they charge $.65 for a quarter. Now, I'm not the greatest math student, but does this seem fair to you? So, here's what I propose: I have a big, honking list of coins that I'm missing and I have a baggie of extras that I'm willing to trade. Anyone wanna play?

I'll list the ones I need and you check to see if you have them. List the ones you need in the comments and I'll see if I have them. Then we can swap. Sound good?

Otherwise I'm going to be sitting here with a very high Crazy Count and nothing else to do but clean my already clean house and listen to my children argue.

So here's the list, in order of release dates:

Michigan--D only (2)
California--D only (2)
Florida--D only (2)
Minnesota--D only (2)
Texas--D only (2)
Oregon--D only (2)
Iowa--P only (2)
Kansas--D only (2)
Wisconsin--D only (2)
West Virginia--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Nevada--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Montana--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Nebraska--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Washington--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Colorado--P (2) and one of either
Idaho--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
North Dakota--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Wyoming--D only (2)
South Dakota--P (2), D (2), and 2 of either one
Utah--D only (2)
Oklahoma--D only (2)
New Mexico--D only (2)
Arizona--D only (2)
Alaska and Hawaii--I don't have any yet but I think they're in circulation now.

So if you're as big a nerd as I am (and don't pretend you aren't!) then check your quarters. If you're way too cool for this stuff, check them anyway. I'm walking a fine line here, people.